Supreme Court allows TN to execute Maintenance Work at the Mullaperiyar Dam

July 26, 2012

The apex Court permitted Tamil Nadu government to execute a repair and maintenance work on the Mullaperiyar dam. All the same, the court also instructed that the repairing and maintenance work is to be carried out in the presence of the Superintending Engineer of Kerala and an independent member nominated by the Chairman of the Central Water Commission. A verdict was given by the apex court after hearing an application filed by Tamil Nadu government for the court’s permission to carry out certain maintenance works.

About the Mullaperiyar Dam

A Dam constructed in 1895 by the British Government on the Periyar River in Kerala.
The objective of its construction was to feed the water needs of the state of Tamil Nadu.
The dam is located 2,889 feet above mean sea level on the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats in Thekkadi, Idukki District in Kerala.
Height: 176 feet
Length: 1200 feet.

The Periyar National Park is located around the dam’s reservoir.

What is the controversy?

Over the past few years a bitter disagreement has arisen b/w the Tamil Nadu and Kerala government over the safety of the dam.
Kerala has conveyed its disagreement over the safety of the dam as it contends that dam is 117 years old and has well outlasted the mean life span of a dam that stretches out b/w 50-60 years. Kerala thus contends that in the face of a disaster, it will be enormously challenging to forestall the loss caused by the rupture of dam.
The developing apprehensions over the safety of dam are largely due to the deficient safety maintenance and monitoring of the dam.
In contrast, the Tamil Nadu government argues that if the dam stops to work it will create a grave water scarcity in 5 districts of the state, resulting to a draught in the area.